Process and Timescales

Development Plan Scheme

The Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006 requires all Councils to prepare a Development Plan Scheme. This is a document that sets out our programme for preparing and reviewing development plans and our proposals for engagement. The development plan is made up of the strategic development plan and the local development plan. Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire have already jointly prepared a separate development plan scheme for the structure plan. This Local Development Plan Scheme (LDPS) has been prepared by Aberdeenshire Council for the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan.

This document provides information on:

• What development plans we have now
• Why we need to prepare a new Local Development Plan
• What the timetable for preparing this plan (the project plan) is
• What the timetable for consulting people is and how we will do this (the participation statement)

• Development Plan Scheme (pdf 1.15mb)

Main Issues Report Consultation

The Main Issues Report was published for a seven week consultation. The closing date for the consultation was 10am on 6 July 2009.

What's Next...

Following consultation on the Main Issues Report and its associated Strategic Environmental Assessment Aberdeenshire Council will develop a “Proposed Plan”. This is likely to be published around February 2010. This will be advertised and objections to the plan invited. Planners will seek to resolve objections but where this is not possible the objections will be considered by a Scottish Government Reporter. The Reporter will consider the issues, hold a public inquiry on those issues he decides warrant such attention, and will advise Aberdeenshire Council of the changes required before the plan can be adopted. This is likely to take place during 2010 and in doing so will meet a key objective of the Scottish Government’s reforms of the planning system, to make the development plan system faster and more responsive.